110 unit 2 | Working Within the Organization
error reduction system, may require experimenta-
tion with the new system, feedback on what works
and what does not, and revising the plan several
times before the system really works.
Some discomfort is likely to occur with almost
any change, but it is important to keep it within
tolerable limits. Exert pressure to make people pay
attention to the change process, but do not exert so
much pressure that they are overstressed by it. In
other words, you want to raise the heat enough to
get them moving but not so much that they boil
over (Heifetz & Linsky, 2002).
Integrating the Change
Finally, after the change has been made, make sure
that everyone has moved into a new comfort zone.
Ask yourself:
■Is the change well integrated into everyday
operations?
■Are people comfortable with it?
■Is it well accepted? Is there any residual resis-
tance that could still undermine full integration
of the change?
It usually takes some time before a change is fully
integrated into everyday routines (Hunter, 2004). As
Kotter noted, change “sticks” when, instead of being
the new way to do something, it has become “the
way we always do things around here” (1999, p. 18).
Personal Change
The focus of this chapter is on leading others
through the process of change. However, choosing
to change is also an important part of your own
development as a leader. Hart and Waisman (2005)
compare personal change with the story of the
caterpillar and the butterfly:
Caterpillars cannot fly. They have to crawl or climb
to f ind their food. Butterflies, on the other hand, can
soar above an obstacle. They also have a different
perspective on their world because they can fly. It is
not easy to change from a caterpillar to a butterfly.
Indeed, the transition (metamorphosis) may be
quite uncomfortable and involves some risk. Are you
ready to become a butterfly?The process of personal change is similar to the
process described throughout this chapter: first rec-
ognize the need for change, then learn how to do
things differently, and then become comfortable
with the “new you” (Guthrie & King, 2004). A
more detailed step-by-step process is given in
Table 8-2. You might, for example, decide that you
need to stop interrupting people when they speak
with you. Or you might want to change your lead-
ership style from laissez-faire to participative.
Would a small change be easier to accomplish
than the radical change in your leadership style?
Perhaps not. Deutschman (2005) reports research
that indicates radical change might be easier to
accomplish because the benefits are evident much
more quickly. An extreme example: many people
could avoid a second coronary bypass or angioplasty
by changing their lifestyle, yet 90% do not do so.
Deutschman compares the typical advice (exercise,
stop smoking, eat healthier meals) with Dean
Ornish’s radical vegetarian diet (only 10% of calories
from fat). After 3 years, 77% of the patients who
went through this extreme change had continued
these lifestyle changes. Why? Ornish suggests
several reasons: (1) after several weeks, people felt a
change—they could walk or have sex without pain;
(2) information alone is not enough—the emotional
aspect is dealt with in support groups and through
meditation, relaxation, yoga, and aerobic exercise;
and (3) the motivation to pursue this change is
redefined—instead of focusing on fear of death, which
many find too frightening, Ornish focuses on the joy
of living, feeling better, and being active without pain.
The traditional approach to change is turned on
its head in this approach: radical change appears
easier to accomplish than a minor change, and peo-
ple are not stressed but feel better making the
change. Deutschman’s five commonly accepted
myths about change that have been refuted by new
insights from research summarize this approach
(Table 8-3).
It remains to be seen whether these new insights
on changing behavior will be useful in the work-
place as well.Conclusion
Change is an inevitable part of living and working.
How people respond to change, the amount of
stress it causes, and the amount of resistance it
provokes can be influenced by leadership. Handled
well, most changes can become opportunities for
professional growth and development rather than
just additional stressors with which nurses and
their clients have to cope.